Longji, a photo from Guangxi, South

Photographer's Note

The Longji terraces area is famous for the excessively large number of terraced rice paddy fields on its mountain, which have created an intricate pattern on the hillsides. Set amongst the villages of the minorities Zhuang and Yao, the area allows for easy to moderate walking/hiking possibilities along and up hillsides to view the panoramas of the terraced rice fields, as well as glimpse the rural life and style of architecture found in the forest-fringed villages.
Longji means 'Dragon Backed Mountain'. When the paddies are full of water in spring, it is said to resemble the scales on the back of a dragon. The fields are beautiful all year round, in the early stages when filled with water, and as the rice grows and matures, changing colours as it does so. Winter may also see snow. Rape flowers are also to be seen in some parts and in some seasons, and along the journey here, there is forest-clad steep-sloped mountain scenery to be taken in.
Longsheng is home to four minority nationalities: Miao, Yao, Dong and Zhuang. The Yao and Zhuang nationalities live in Longji. The Yao have distinctive clothing and hair styles which set them apart from other ethnic groups. Yao women are famous for having the longest hair in the world. They never cut their hair. Instead they wrap the hair in a bun on top of their head in a style resembling an Indian turban.
We spent the whole day in Longji walking around the terraces and although the weather was a little bit foggy I managed to take couple of photos. It was however a shame that the wide panorama picture was out of question because of the lack of visibility in the valley. This picture shows more of the village and its traditional wooden architecture.

ourania, mirosu, snunney, cornejo, annjackman, ikeharel, gildasjan, COSTANTINO, Royaldevon, PiotrF, photoray, daddo, jjcordier, adramad, Sonata11, holmertz, No_One, papagolf21, pajaran, mohammad_H, Kielia, tatadalou, jcpix, ricardomattos, PaulVDV, trevormoffiet, nikkitta, delpeoples, Romano46, chrislo, siolaw, danos, adores, patpatch, Didi, ChrisJ, Angshu, aliabazari, drweizy, Stefanoaq has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

miumiu (6117) 2014-05-26 2:13

Hi Kamila,

Wonderful landscape, these are pure Chinese terraces.
Very beautiful composition with the town in the corner and the terraces in the other side.
The weather is foggy, but the colours are very beautiful.

Best wishes
Agnes

Nicou (193806) 2014-05-26 2:29

Hello

Grandisoe vue plongeante et iamge avec le village dans le coin gauche et tous ces champs en terrasse ce graphsime et ces tons sueprbe vue et captage.
Bravo et amitié
Nicou

ourania (51103) 2014-05-26 2:32

Hello Kamila,
panoramas are often breathtaking and always interesting but the challenges imposed by weather conditions or disturbing elements can lead to very creative and attractive compositions. Your picture is a great example for this "theory":) I like very much the natural patterns alternating and drawing a very elegant depiction of the landscape. Your tight framing gives great impact to this delightful visual choreography. You tucked in the village in a discreet but effective way, the colours are fine and moody. We get a comprehensive idea of life in this unique environment. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great day, hope all's well in Lefkada:)
Ourania

shreya2000 (2815) 2014-05-26 3:10

Dear Kamila,
Very good pic showing many things in the frame. The fields are very well managed by farmers. The buildings of the village below the hills is looking very nice. Well seen place.
Regards,
joginder

mirosu (16313) 2014-05-26 3:17

Hi Kamila,
I like very much your composition, adjusted superbly in the horizontal frame. The light is excellent, an image with unusual features, textures and well balanced colors. You are presenting the terrace fields and the township behind with great perspective from a well chosen point of view and making marvelous use of the foreground and background to provide a comprehensive and attractive context and fill the frame with interest. I love the comfortable clarity, the beautiful colors, the fantastic quality of the light and the effective contrasts.
Very well done.
Greetings,
Miro

snunney (130967) 2014-05-26 3:33

Hello Kamila,
A fine perspective over these rice terraces. The composition is well framed and has a pleasing balance to it. I like the light and colours. Very good sharpness.

cornejo (61504) 2014-05-26 3:41

Hi Kamila, very good view of these interesting terraced hills transformed by man to grow rice, nicely captured by a great pov, in this great and beautiful photography. An interesting and beautiful image with good sharpness, depth, pretty light, color and quality. An excellent job perfectly done, congratulations my friend. Thanks for sharing this beautiful work.

Good afternoon and happy week.
Warm greetings from southern Spain.
Angel.

dta (98562) 2014-05-26 4:45

Hello Kamila ,
A splendid view of this wonderful terraces landscape . With an openening to the superb village .
Electricity has arrived here : a good thing for te locals , less for the photographer ;)
Regards

carlo62 (81265) 2014-05-26 5:30

Ciao Kamila
molto belli e precisi questi terrazzamenti.
I colori sono saturi e si apprezzano ancora di più le linee sinuose che circondano le colline coltivate.
Bello scatto, come tutti quelli che ci hai presentato.
Saluti
Carlo

SNOOP_Chan (4377) 2014-05-26 5:33

Hello Kamila, very nice image here. China, just i immagine it. Lovely colors on the shot. Interesting pattrens because of the terraces. Good sharpness on it.
Good take.
Regards!

annjackman (23019) 2014-05-26 5:41

Hello Kamila,
The colours are outstanding and give a richness to the image that I like very much. The composition is very well balanced with the village on the corner. A lovely pattern picture using the agricultural landscape and a very good view point. Excellent - TFS.
Kind Regards, Ann

eldancer1 (36343) 2014-05-26 7:23

We have those rice terraces in my old country the Philippines and it still amazed me how those people from the past ever thought of farming this way, I think they are geniuses. Awesome capture of this beautiful landscape with sharp details and great pov. Well done, tfs.

ikeharel (106339) 2014-05-26 7:56

Fabulous contourlines of the terrases, with the houses built like a labyrinth in a dense trough, to reserve land for agriculture's, Kamila. Taken this from a wondrful high point.
Some red bushs, contrast the light-brown and green cultivated land.
A marvelous sight, well collected.
Kalispera,
Ike

saxo042 (38078) 2014-05-26 8:45

Hi Kamila,
These terraces provide a very interesting pattern and also very fine colours. A very interesting view with the buildings far below.
Kind regards
Gunnar

cargus (13381) 2014-05-26 8:57

Beautiful landscape, beautiful colors, well framed and rendered, image well done.!
cordially
Adrian

gildasjan (43826) 2014-05-26 9:49

Bonsoir Kamilia
Une image parfaitement composée dans ce format.Tous les éléments de cette composition sont bien mis en valeur sous cette lumière.
Bonne soirée
amicalement
Gildas

COSTANTINO (104929) 2014-05-26 9:55

Hello my dear friend
we have a wonderful landscape here
with a great view to the panoramas
of the terraced rice hills
their presentation is almost perfect
I like very much those natural
patterns
the colors are truly wonderful
regards
have a nice evening
Costantino

Fis2 (156622) 2014-05-26 10:12

Witaj Kamila!
Piekny widok.
Charakterystyczna kolorystyka robi wra¿enie.
Ladny kadr i kompozycja.
Podoba sie.
Milego wieczoru.
Krzysztof
P.S.
Pogoda w Budapeszcie nie byla na 100% ale staralem siê jak moglem aby wykorzystac kazda chmurke. A i burz mnie tez dopadla ;)

Royaldevon (76618) 2014-05-26 10:25

Hello Kamila,

Another outstanding photograph of your Chinese trip.
It is so well composed, with the valley crossing the frame neatly, on a thirds line.
The colours and the details are remarkable. It is so easy to recognise how different this is, to our western lifestyle.

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

Silvio1953 (206867) 2014-05-26 11:34

Ciao Kamila, fascinating landscape, great view of fantastic place, splendid light and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

bachapi (369) 2014-05-26 11:47

What a beautiful "graphic" picture! Nice contrast, beautiful light: a really pleasant shot.

PiotrF (52330) 2014-05-26 13:32

Witaj Kamilo
Tak jak napisalas w notce zapewne niesamowicie zmienia sie kolorystyka tego miejsca w ciagu roku. Ty trafilas na spokojna , stonowana co tez jest jakims plusem Twoich odwiedzin choc pewnie pozostaje niedosyt jak te miejsca wygladaja w innych miesiacach.
Ciekawy kadr i oczywiscie wysmienita prezentacja tego miejsca.
pozdrawiam
Piotr

Giustiniani (3650) 2014-05-26 15:03

Bonsoir Kamila,
une très belle composition avec beaucoup de netteté et des détails qui donnent une grande finesse à la photo. Une superbe capture.
Amicalement,
Magaly

lousat (130515) 2014-05-26 15:05

Hi Kamila,every pic from your trip is a great spectacle! I like a lot your choice of these lare views,perfect to create always original compositions,this is an another great masterwork,what a place and what a quality,very intresting note too.Have a nice day and thanks,Luciano

photoray (13981) 2014-05-26 16:42

Howdy Kamila,

Attractive view of the Longji rice paddy terraces, stacked on top of each other, curving up the hill sides, with a glimpse of the traditional village among the scene, and enhanced by the low level lighting to reveal the textures and details.

Good job,
Cheers,
Ray

daddo (28728) 2014-05-26 16:59

Beautiful earthy colours, great POV which plays upon the many contours and reveals the human habitation. I find such images with soft light moody and more revealing due to the absence of dark shadows that a sunny day would create. Best wishes. Klaudio.

jjcordier (79299) 2014-05-26 23:06

Kamila
Excellente composition associant de belle façon ces rizières en terrasses et le village en arrière-plan. Belle photo!
Amicalement
JJ

Apurba20 (984) 2014-05-27 4:49

Hi Kamila
The stepped farming pattern looks too good to be true, and in spite of the foggy conditions, the picture has come out fantastic.
And the houses at the background provide a sharp contrast.
Beautiful as always!
Apurba

timecapturer (49288) 2014-05-27 4:54

Hi Kamila
always fascinated by shots like this, the terraces always look so wonderful and this shot does them full justice. Love the contrast of elegant curves beside the more conventional lines of the houses below. A beautiful image presented perfectly.

Regards - B.

adramad (67554) 2014-05-27 8:06

Hi Kamila.
A truly wonderful and spectacular composition, with those lovely terraced crop, completely covering the hills, is ideal amount of different shades, which can be seen therein, the trees in the hollows of the ground, giving a lovely twist, the the same village, we can see a bit in the top corner.
An image to enjoy, with its beautiful colorful, high brightness and perfect sharpness.
Very well done. I love it.
Have a nice day.
Best wishes.
Luis.

Sonata11 (34119) 2014-05-27 9:53

Witaj Kamila,
piekny i niesomowita panorama tego tak uroczego i interesujacego miejsca. Jest na co popatrzec i co podziwiac. Wspaniale wykonane zdjecie. Sliczna praca jak kazda kolejna. Bardzo mi sie podoba.
Serdecznie pozdrawiam,
Barbara

holmertz (93506) 2014-05-27 11:34

Hello Kamila,
This photo is exceptional for the closeness between the fairly ordinary looking town and these marvellously elegant terraces. They could almost make me believe they were made with an artistic intention. The fog didn't stop you from taking a perfectly clear and bright photo.
Greetings from Poland,
Gert

No_One (4) 2014-05-27 11:47

hi Kamila
I love how you composed this very much. I have seen these fields before here on TE and they never fail to amaze me, but a wonderful idea to include the architecture of the village too, I have never seen that before. I am torn between the beauty of the town and the fields. They compliment each other so well.
Nicely done, and thanks as always for sharing.
Best wishes
Noel

abmdsudi (89305) 2014-05-27 20:44

Hi Kamila
The contours of the terrace field give a very graphical look heightening the strength of the composition with a smooth flow through the curves. Full marks for exposure too as the contrast range looks like it may have been difficult. I think having the dwelling in the corner adds to the image, the colors are sumptuous and crisp altogether an impressive landscape which is a joy to view. Well done, It's Beautiful :) TFS
Best regards

jurek1951 (42198) 2014-05-27 22:41

Witaj Kamila,
ladnie prezetuja sie te tarasy na gorskich stokach i mala miescina przycupnieta obok,ladne naturalne kolory i dobrze dobrany kadr,pozdrawiam
Jurek

papagolf21 (152603) 2014-05-28 0:38

Bonjour, Kamila,
Encore une vue de toute beauté accompagnée d'une note édifiante.
La juxtaposition des terres cultivées en terrasses et la ville en contrebas est parfaitement représentée.
Bravo une nouvelle fois.
Amitiés.
Philippe

pajaran (103575) 2014-05-28 3:30

Dobar dan.
Interesantan tekst o Longji terraces sa opisom, lep pogled ...
Dobar trenutak snimka, kontrast i perspektiva, lepo pokazane terase i deo grada.
Dobar rad i kompozicija, lepe boje.
Poljoprivrednici koriste svako parce zeemlje.
Lepo popodne i sve najbolje.
Paja.

Good afternoon.
An interesting article on the Longji terraces with a description, a nice view ...
Good time recording, contrast and perspective, nice terrace and shown part of the city.
Good work and composition, beautiful colors.
Farmers use every piece of land.
Nice afternoon and all the best.
Paja.

SWEETFREEDOM (24623) 2014-05-28 4:44

Hi Kamila,
terrace rice field are characteristic of China, good p.o.v. and details.
regards
Alessandro

jhm (203867) 2014-05-28 5:24

Hello Kamila,

All these nice terraces are made through people with the hand, almost a miracle long time ago.
Pleasant panorama view, made in high quality and excellent colours.
Sharpness and clarity is perfect.
Composition and presentation gives a good feeling.
Very well done, TFS

Have a nice day,
John

mohammad_H (10178) 2014-05-28 5:37

Hi
Eye-catching and beautiful farmland, and make good use of the land, classified, good resolution, gardens and agricultural fields of my interest in nature, green, fruit, vegetable, ...

rychem (72179) 2014-05-28 8:41

Super! Piękne tarasy, mój cały podziw dla ludzi, którzy to zrobili, no i dla tych, którzy to tak dobrze sfotografowali :))))
pozdrawiam Ryszard

Kielia (24077) 2014-05-28 8:44

Hi Kamila,
you are adding a very beautiful impression of this well known landscape to the gallery. Your POV is very well chosen and the composition is – as usual - excellent. I also love the moody colors. My compliments also for the interesting notes!
Warm regards
Harriet

tatadalou (7459) 2014-05-28 11:39

Hello Kamila,
The rain put a slight veil on the village, but allows you to benefit from well saturated colors on rice terraces. The high point of view shows us precisely the gigantic earthworks necessary to install these rice fields. Another beautiful view in your series on China.
Regards,
Delphine

kato (11630) 2014-05-28 20:21

Hello Kamila,

You're capturing well this terrace field on mountain by a good angle and excellent tone, so it's interesting and impressive to see the wisdom of the predecessors who used the agricultural lot effectively. And, it's also impressive in the contrast with residential area at the upper left.

Kind regards,
mikio

jemaflor (136178) 2014-05-28 23:36

Hi Kamila,
Great pov and very well composed with the village in the corner, lovely warm tone, perfect sharpness, tfs this so well managed photo, congratulations !

Cricri (176) 2014-05-29 3:35

Hi Kamila
Extraordinaire paysage de ces terrasses et ces couleurs, bon POV avec un aperçu sur les habitations, une autre belle réalisation de votre part, compliment
Belle journée
cricri

fabbs99 (17179) 2014-05-29 12:14

Hi Kamila,

I love the terraces.Too good from a high a view point.Very well done.The houses in the extreme top left of the frame adds charm to the image.TFS.

Regards,Farhat

jcpix (14030) 2014-05-29 19:26

Hi Kamila,

Many times have I seen pictures of terraces such as this, but a first to have a composition which has included so much of the adjacent village...and might I say, it works tremendously well! This framing puts a fresh perspective on the landscape and places context to both portions. A magnificent view from this elevated position, and one that is not too far removed from the detail of the land below.

Love the combination of elements and dimension, as well as the informative notes regarding the culture. We may not be able to see them, but I can visualize in my minds eye many of the long haired women roaming about. :) Great colors and clarity, even if there was limited visibility. Another impressive result! Enjoy the new day. All the best.

Friendly wishes,

Jason

Graal (103040) 2014-05-29 23:30

Witaj,
piekny krajobraz. Zbocza gory wygladaja jak ulozone w stos kromki chleba. Wszystko tu chyba powiedziano. Mnie tez sie bardzo podoba. Fajny POV mialas.
Milego dnia.
Aleksander

ricardomattos (15468) 2014-05-30 5:44

Hi Kamila,
Lovely layers you got in this shot. A well composed picture from a very well choosen POV. Colors and sharpness very good too. Beautiful !!

Hugs

Ricardo

PaulVDV (55465) 2014-05-31 3:04

Hello Kamila,
It's amazing how people have started cultivating these steep hill slopes.
Beautiful alternation of green and golden tones. Wonderful curving lines.
Interesting inclusion of the village between the hills.
Best regards, Paul

claudeD (47754) 2014-05-31 8:33

Hello Kamila,

first of all, my compliments for your wonderful series of shots from China. Excellent colors and clarity for this one. Lik ethe view very much.. Very well done.TFS.

With regards from Luxembourg

JC

batalay (41261) 2014-06-01 13:37

Hello Camila,

How beautifully sculpted these terraces are! I imagine it must have many generations, perhaps hundreds of years for such topography to be carved from the land. Your photos of Chinas of China from your visit last spring would make a wonderful photo book. I have created several photo books using a company called Snapfish. I know there are many other, including Shutterfly. But drop me a note at my email address, [email protected], and I will share one of these photo books to give you an idea.

Warm regards,

Bulent

mkamionka (62160) 2014-06-02 3:12

Czesc Kamila,
perwsze pytanie ktore mi sie nasuwa: czy pokazesz jak wygladaja wlosy kobiety ktora nigdy nie chodzi do fryzjera? Moze moglbym to uzyw jako argument w rozmowie z zona w przyszlosci :)

Wspanialy widok! Nigdy nie widzialem tarasow ryzowych -wylacznie na zdjeciach, te wzgorza sa chyba wyjatkowo strome jak na takie tarasy i pytanie sie nauwa czy rzeczywiscie tyle pracy sie oplacalo. Nie mniej dla nas teraz efekt wyglada fantastycznie a zatem obecne pokolenia moga zarobic wiecej na turystach niz na ryzu... Dobrze ze zamiescilas rowniez fragment wioski w oddali to pozwala sobie lepiej wyobrazic rozmiar tarasow,
Pozdrawiam serdecznie,
M

trevormoffiet (3112) 2014-06-03 2:43

Hi Kamila,
A very attractive image with lots of content to explore. Good colours and clarity. Nice balance of the rice fields against the small village.
Regards,
Trevor

nikkitta (17070) 2014-06-03 11:24

Hola Kamila

Great panoramic capture of the so impresive terraces, not always a blue sky is need as you show here in a tight composition
Like the POV chosen to show both terraces and contrast with the village
Very well done, good TE contribution
Maria

delpeoples (60326) 2014-06-05 7:37

Dear Kamila

What a stunning photo. The tight cropping, leaving out the sky completely has evened the light out flawlessly and allowed us to concentrate on those magnificent textures and colours. Such impressive sharpness and depth. Congratulations.

Warmest wishes
Lisa

Romano46 (18472) 2014-06-05 10:45

Ciao Kamila
anche questa tua ultima foto scattata in Cina si fa apprezzare per la semplicità e l'efficacia della composizione che contrappone in maniera intelligente il colore della campagna al grigiore della città.
Particolarmente belli sia i colori quanto la particolarità della luce che li esalta in maniera magnifica.
Ottima la definizione.
Complimenti
Ciao e buona serata
Romano

wolf38 (30) 2014-06-08 8:26

Hello Kamila. Your gallery I like very much, because they show a clear and aesthetic photographic signature. Each photo is a little gem in itself. Nice that there are such masterful contributions to TE.
Best rgds, Wolfgang.

Oceania (5202) 2014-06-09 5:50

Hi Kamila,

These terraces are in different looking in different season. Your picture shows in winter, beautiful indeed. As dark roofs village at upper left corner, the composition is perfect.

tenretin (3159) 2014-06-12 14:21

Bonjour Kamila,
J'aime particulièrement le contraste entre le velouté des collines et les couleurs presque monochrome de la ville,
C'est un très beau cliché, plein de sensibilité.
Bien vu et bien réalisé.
Amicalement,
Jp

Gigidusud (21679) 2014-06-20 14:30

Hello Kamila,
Splendid view on the terraces with splendid colors and a nice graphic effect. I like a lot!
Thanks for sharing.
Gigi

chrislo (4097) 2014-06-21 12:47

Hello Kamila,
When I look at these rice terraces, it just makes me think of slices of bread stacked on top of each other ! The curves of the terraces following the hill contours make for a splendid graphical effect. The background village appears to be swallowed up by the hillside fields. The colours are nicely saturated and the exposure is perfectly sharp. A very well created and composed shot.
Kind regards,
Christian

dkmurphys (78032) 2014-06-24 2:03

Hi Kamila,
Spectacular terraces, I like the graphical effect of those man made steps. Well taken panorama, enjoy a good day ahead.

Daniel

siolaw (38294) 2014-06-24 4:47

Hi Kamila
The place looks really breath taking! Love those terraces and the way you framed it with the village nested in the top left corner...
Excellent
Laurent

danos (110407) 2014-06-26 3:12

Hi Kamila,
very attractive this panoramic view of Longji terraces area with the cultivated hills to create a spectacular optical effect.
I like the excellent light and colour management with the village on the left to copmpetes perfect the whole scene.Well done.

Regards,Danos

adores (46979) 2014-06-26 14:57

Hi Kamila!
A different shot! Here, we see not just the terraces, but also a part of the village on the corner. Good composition, colours and sharpness!

patpatch (1601) 2014-06-27 5:41

Hello again Kamila,

Another splendid scenery from China.I haven't been in this part of China yet.But I hope to go there in the future,and your shot confirm me that it would be a marvellous place to go.I like your composition and the colours too,in spite of the weather seems not to be very nice.The graphism of the terraced rice field is superb in your very nice composition.
Friendly.
Patrick

Didi (61589) 2014-06-29 10:57

Hi Kamila
Awesome picture from a very good dominant position
Very goodmixture with warm colours and greens
Well done
Kind regards

macjake (96273) 2014-07-01 15:48

Hi Kamila
I know you mentioned you were a bit unhappy with the composition, wanting a wider look - but this looks pretty darn good to me.
Rice paddy fields are such an iconic subject in China, who could blame you for wanting to capture these.

really enjoy the flow of the curves. its like a scene thats in fluid motion :)
enjoy your day
craig

ChrisJ (161004) 2014-07-02 15:14

Hi Kamila,

If I end up back in China I will have to pay this place a visit. I have been to Guilin twice but not here. Next time Amazing repetition of the rice paddies that is the equal of Bali, Java or the Philippines. I like the warm cold colour contrast between the blue village and yellow hills. Have a great week!

Angshu (56760) 2014-07-02 21:21

Hello Kamila
Stunning work to show us the fabulous terraces and the village as well ith its traditional wooden houses. The terraces show crops at various stages of their cultivation. Beautiful picture and a fine informative note!
With Regards
Angshu

fotka (7599) 2014-07-05 5:28

Witaj Kamila,
Twoja galeria jest pelna wspanialych zdjec z Chin. Ciezko sie zdecydowac ktore wybrac bo wszystkie zasluguja na :).
Piekna panorama tych pracochlonnych tarasow ryzowych. Swietny punkt obserwacji, kolory, swiatlo oraz ostrosc.
Bardzo dobra praca!
Pozdrowienia,
Zbigniew

jmdias (103814) 2014-07-10 2:36

kamila

amazing contrast between the rural and the urban areas. the shapes of these terraces is impressive, no matter how much times we can see them. I liked the golden hues and even the small details we can see here. TFS.

hugs

jorge

aliabazari (18418) 2014-07-17 10:06

Hi Kamila dear
It is very beautiful. I love it. Good depth. Exposure resolution nicely done. Congratulations

Regards ...

drweizy (536) 2014-07-19 19:15

good terraces, regards

Stefanoaq (128) 2015-04-17 7:27

Molto bella! Scatto gradevole con un ottimo punto di ripresa e con ottime tonalità!

Photo Information

Copyright: Kamila Zadora (Kamilutka) (8107)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2013-12-17
Categories: Daily Life, Nature, Architecture
Camera: CANON EOS 600D, 52mm HOYA Circular Polarizer
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/40 seconds
More Photo Info: view
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Les plus beaux paysages du monde ... suite ., China [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2014-05-26 2:07
Favorites: 1 [view]